Wednesday, July 29, 2015

Sometimes you just need a beauty fix and you need that fix to happen in an instant. Keep reading for four top picks for instant beauty cure for some common beauty woes!

FRIZZY HAIR: Sun Bum Beach Formula Shine On is the best at not only mending and repairing split ends but also in conditioning with Coconut and Avocado oils!

OILY, SHINY SKIN: Lumene Bright Now Blur is the best at minimizing the appearance of pores and making skin matte – with added Vitamin C for brightening!

DULL, BLEH SKIN: Smashbox’s LA Lights is the best multitasker – use it as a blush, lip stain or just to give color to your face!

DRY, SPOTTY SKIN: Lumene’s Complete Rewind Visible Wrinkle Eraser can be used for such more than just obliterating wrinkles over time – it has Arctic Sea Buckthorn to plump, moisturize and revitalize skin!

Monday, July 27, 2015

Don't get me wrong, I do love summer, but sometimes the high temperatures and humidity are just a little much for me. This is why I really try to keep it simple makeup wise in the summer months. There's no worse feeling than having heavy makeup and foundation on and feeling like your pores can't breathe and your makeup is just sweating off your face. I figure I'm not the only one that has that problem so today I'm bringing you some of my summer favorites for an easy care free summer look.

A refillable, six-shade eye palette with expertly curated, primer-infused, neutral to mauve shades. I was looking at some of the new Buxom shades and customizable refillable palettes they just came out with. A lot of the colors I was reaching for were already in the Dolly's Wild Side palette so I figured I'd just pick up this one since I already loved the shades. Plus, if I ever want to change it up I can buy an individual shade and switch it out. These soft shades have been perfect for creating summer looks plus if I want to kick it up a notch I just use "Wild Nights" which is a deep shimmery plum.

This was a birthday present from my boyfriend and I was so excited to finally try Colour Pop after how many great things I've been hearing. I figured this set was a perfect chance to test out some of the lippie stix and blushes together and I already loved all of the colors. There really isn't a dud in the bunch. The blushes have a unique creamy texture that is really fun to touch and play around with. The pigmentation on these lippies are absolutely fantastic and they last hours and hours. I'd say you're good for about 5-6 hours. I love that they put in 2 bold colors as well as a more neutral everyday color that will still be flattering for most.. Even after a meal my lipstick still looks perfect and after they leave a really nice stain. The blushes I like but I haven't quite fell in love with them as much as the lippie stix. I also like the highlight shade but it is very subtle on my skin and I have fair skin. If you sign up for newsletters on their site right now, you will get a $5 off coupon plus free shipping over $30. I love this brand so much I've already put in 2 more orders since my birthday!

This tinted free oil free formula contains SPF 15 to shield your skin from the sun's rays as it smoothes fine lines and wrinkles. What I love about this product is that it is a light peachy color which blends flawlessly into my skin and smooths out imperfections. I've basically been wearing this as my foundation even though the coverage would be extremely light. I figure let my skin breathe and my freckles shine through!

bare Minerals 5 in 1 BB Cream Eyeshadows, $18 each

Creamy and long-wearing color meets BB skincare benefits and SPF protection. I have two colors, Sweet Spice and Blushing Pink. Sweet Spice is a light taupe color and blushing pink is a light pink color. They do have some sparkle to them which is noticeable when you swatch it on your hand but no so much when it is applied to the eye. I alternate these depending on the day and have colors that I pair with each. For the Sweet Spice color I tend to top it with LORAC Pro's Mauve Shade and for Blushing Pink I top it with Buxom's Dolly's Wild Side shades Lingerie Lover (matte mauve) and Spoiled Sexy (matte deep mauve). You can also easily wear these shades alone. I love how simple and easy these are to use and they provide a great long wearing base. Love, love, love. My only complaint is I wish they would come out with even more colors and some brighter and deeper shades.

I hope that helps you narrow down your summer beauty list. I've been seriously using most of these products daily and it's really been helping me create a simple and natural look that isn't boring. What are some of your summer favorites? Comment and let me know, I'd love to hear from you!

Friday, July 17, 2015

High end beauty items don't automatically guarantee that a product is better quality or works better. There are instances where drugstore products perform just as well if not better than their pricier counterparts. In thinking about this list of my most reliable drugstore items, I thought about the makeup I chose to pack when I'm traveling. When I'm traveling I'm obviously more limited in the makeup items I can chose to bring and therefore must carefully select those prized items. Oh yes, it can be a difficult decision but there tends to be some drugstore items that are always guaranteed a place!

L'Oreal Voluminous Carbon Black Mascara is my favorite drugstore mascara on the market and probably one of my favorites overall. This has the perfect sized brush and formula for long voluminous lashes.

Elf $1 Eyeshadow Primer has been a product I've repuchrased many times as this $1 find holds up and actually even performs better than pricey high end products.

Rimmel London BB Cream applies like a dream and provides the perfect amount of coverage for my low key days!

Mini EDT Trio ($30): a gift set sure to please, this collection of travel size Eau de Toilettes is perfect for the mom on the go and ready to impress on any occasion. Including an Iris Bleu & Iris Blanc, Jasmin & Bergamot and Neroli & Orchid Eau de Toilette, pair this set with our Hand Cream Trio to for an all-encompassing fragrance experience.

Divine Collection ($186): show mom how precious she is with this luxurious collection of rare Immortelle Essential Oil beauty treatments. Made to leave skin vibrant and replenished, this set features a Precious Cleansing Foam 150ml, Divine Cream 50ml, Divine Eyes 15ml and Divine Lotion 50ml.

Savons de Provence ($21): These 100% vegetable based soaps gently cleanse the skin without stripping it of its essential moisture. This charming set includes our best-selling, Shea Butter Extra Gentle Soap 100g in Lavender, Milk and Verbena scents.

Tuesday, February 17, 2015

I would probably say my beauty session lately is definitely with lip products. I still love blushes and eye shadows, but I can't seem to resist lipsticks and lip products lately! That's why I'm very excited whenever a new lip product comes out, especially from a brand like Laura Mercier! Their new Paint Wash Liquid Lip Colour has really got me impressed!

The first thing I noticed was that I really liked the sleek design of the product and the second thing I noticed was just how vibrant the color was. I was ready to jump right in to test out the claims of this product! I was sent a bright orangey red color called Vermillion Red. First off, this was super easy to apply. The applicator is baby soft and has just enough flexibility to make your application perfection. This is especially appreciated with a bold red lip where any mistake is painstakingly obvious. The color was really true to the color in the bottle. I found it to be bright and highly pigmented. It definitely made an impact! I only had to apply one thin layer for full pigmented coverage.

About:Laura Mercier Paint Wash Liquid Lip Colour, $28

· Creamy formula envelops lips in richness with a demi-matte finish· Lightweight, comfortable, all day wear· Multi-functional paddle brush for one stroke colour application· Available in nine rich, intense and creamy colours

I was very curious to see how this lasted throughout the day. I'm usually pretty tough on my lip products and have found a lot of them do not live up to their wear claims. This product claims to be lightweight, comfortable and have all day wear. I definitely found those claims to be true. This product lasted seven hours on me! Those seven hours included a lunch of yogurt and then some greasy delicious chicken for dinner. I kept looking at my lips throughout the day to see how it was holding up and each time I looked I thought, well it still looks absolutely perfect! It wasn't until about an hour or so after dinner that I did notice it starting to fade.

I did notice it started to fade a little unevenly, meaning I had more product around the outside of my lips than the inside. This wasn't quite as noticeable as I've had with other products. I hate when you have to constantly worry about your lipstick and whether or not you have a ring around your lips. I really wouldn't worry too much about this as it is super long lasting. I also did notice a slight stain after. My lips were a little dry after this faded, but that's probably due more to winter than the actual product (it is currently 15 degrees here but feels like 6!).

This product once applied didn't fully dry on my lips throughout the day. The upside to that is that it remains super comfortable on your lips unlike a true liquid matte lipstick which usually drys quicker and can cause a tight and uncomfortable feeling. However the downside is that I did have some transfer throughout the day onto things like a coffee cup. I really liked the demi-matte finish of this product. It wasn't too shimmery or shiny, it did appear somewhat matte with just a little bit more comfort and gloss to it. It really is a finish that I was impressed with. I think the closest product I can compare it to is Too Faced Melted Liquified lipstick. I do love those, but I'm loving Laura Mercier Paint Wash Liquid Lip Colour even more! I'm excited to check out the other colors in this line. This product is definitely a win in my book!

Friday, February 6, 2015

Valentine's day for me has always been about a celebration of love, regardless of if I'm single or not. It's also a great day to really take some extra time out for yourself and do some pampering. I'm always excited to see what LUSH Cosmetics has for Valentine's day as you can always count on them to have the cutest products with the sweetest scents. Here are a few of my favorite picks this Valentine's day! If you're looking for some gift ideas for the woman or love in your life, I highly recommend checking out LUSH's Valentine's day offerings. My absolute favorite body wash scent of all time is Prince Charming, so I definitely recommend picking that up especially since it's limited edition!

Floating FlowerRelax, it’s nearly Valentine’s Day and this flower is sure to please! Gently place this multi-layered Bath Bomb in the water and watch as it floats and slowly fizzes away, releasing a sensual jasmine fragrance. Its vivid, colorful layers create a bouquet of pink, orange and green froth on the water, so get in and soak up all its goodness, and leave the tub feeling relaxed and smelling irresistible.

Unicorn Horn:Sink into a magical bath filled with beautiful essential oils, colorful candy stars, sparkling glitter, rainbows and dreams. Gorgeous pastel colors and a shimmering luster create enchanting pink waters with silvery trails sparkling through it – just like the dazzling pools in magical forests that unicorns can be found bathing in. Lavender, ylang ylang and neroli create a unique and uplifting fragrance as you surround yourself with mounds of bubbles that will leave you feeling perfectly serene.

The Kiss Lip Gloss:This limited edition gloss is vegan, self-preserving and leaves behind a pretty pink color and loads of shine. Its whipped buttery base of Fair Trade shea and cupuaçu butters melts on to soften and hydrate lips, and almond and mandarin oils leave a lip-smacking flavor behind.

Prince Charming Shower Gel:

Get cozy with our limited edition Valentine's Day body wash! Just like its namesake, this pretty pink gel has everything you've been dreaming of: an intoxicating fruity perfume, skin-softening oils and a gentle touch. Get in a lather and luxuriate in the indulgent blend of fresh pomegranate juice, Fair Trade vanilla pod infusion and almond oil. You’ll emerge with royally soft, beautifully moisturized skin—it’s almost too good to be true!

So there you have it-four perfect picks for a perfect Valentine's day. And remember whether you're single or not, be sure to celebrate the love you have in your life on this day and take a little extra time to take care of yourself too!